Relocation of damaged gas meter issue 🙈 Any advice please?!

winniewightman

I'm hoping you can help since I seem to have exhausted all other lines of enquiry.

Since October 2023 our outside gas smart meter has not been working. It has been flooded since it is positioned at low ground level on a clay based surface which caused the failed. I think this last failed meter was either the third or fourth replacement meter we have had due to the same flooding issue.

I have raised this with my supplier, British Gas, who sent an engineer to change it again on Monday, but he and his manager refused based on the waste of money BG would be subject to come the autum when it rains again and the poor positioning of it in the first instance, some 15-16 years ago, will only once again cause it to stop taking readings. Due to the current unpredictable nature of the weather our village is under constant threat of flooding, something which I as a BG customer cannot control. Our local water suppliers are trying their best to prevent flooding but this is not a quick or easy fix. 

I have since contacted tye mains gas service team, Cadent, who have inspected its current location and have recommended a relocation to higher ground further long my property. For this they are trying to charge a whopping £998:03.

I am truly stuck. BG will not provide another meter so I can take my own gas meter readings, I am in debt due to gas use over winter as was not even aware the meter had failed (no one from BG informed me their meter was not sending readings back to them) and Cadent are unlikely to pay for the metre relocation. 

Can someone please tell me if I have any rights with regards obtaining this gas meter relocation for free. I am not a priority customer with regards disability etc, but I am a consistent and reliable utility bill payer and have never been black listed. This situation seems very unfair to me and whilst it remains unsolved, my gas bill is just increasing to an amount I cannot even calculate for myself due to lack of readings!

PLEASE, PLEASE HELP!!

QrizB

Do you own the property? If so, you're responsible for the cost of relocating your gas or electricity meter.

If you rent, it's your landlord's responsibility.

kazwookie

I suggest you put £x per month into another account, ready for when you do get a bill.

You should base £x amount on pervious gas bill you do have from when the meter was working, plus 5 or 10% to allow for any increase in prices.

I would be appealing to Cadent's better nature to see if there is anything they can do on price, ie ring customer service team, write to CEO.

Can a soak away be build running along the building where the meter is, or is the likely flooding more than a soakaway could cope with.

Ectophile

QrizB said:

Do you own the property? If so, you're responsible for the cost of relocating your gas or electricity meter.

If you rent, it's your landlord's responsibility.

But at the same time, it's the gas supplier's responsibility to ensure that their meter is working properly.

doodling

Hi,

Ectophile said:

QrizB said:

Do you own the property? If so, you're responsible for the cost of relocating your gas or electricity meter.

If you rent, it's your landlord's responsibility.

But at the same time, it's the gas supplier's responsibility to ensure that their meter is working properly.

Yes, but I suspect if the OP pressed the matter they would do that by paying Cadent £998.03, adding 10% for their project management and adding the result onto your bill.

Can you reduce the Cadent price by doing some of the labouring yourself (e.g. digging a trench for them)?

MWT

Ectophile said:

QrizB said:

Do you own the property? If so, you're responsible for the cost of relocating your gas or electricity meter.

If you rent, it's your landlord's responsibility.

But at the same time, it's the gas supplier's responsibility to ensure that their meter is working properly.

... but providing a suitable location for the gas meter is the responsibility of the owner of the property, the supplier can only fit the meter to the location the owner provides for them...

At least the supplier is not yet billing them for the damage to the meters...

Qyburn

Is it the case that an older mechanical meter would have been OK, and the problems started when the supplier changed to an electronic meter? Or was it always electronic.

cannugec5

winniewightman said:

I'm hoping you can help since I seem to have exhausted all other lines of enquiry.

Since October 2023 our outside gas smart meter has not been working. It has been flooded since it is positioned at low ground level on a clay based surface which caused the failed. I think this last failed meter was either the third or fourth replacement meter we have had due to the same flooding issue.

I have raised this with my supplier, British Gas, who sent an engineer to change it again on Monday, but he and his manager refused based on the waste of money BG would be subject to come the autum when it rains again and the poor positioning of it in the first instance, some 15-16 years ago, will only once again cause it to stop taking readings. Due to the current unpredictable nature of the weather our village is under constant threat of flooding, something which I as a BG customer cannot control. Our local water suppliers are trying their best to prevent flooding but this is not a quick or easy fix. 

I have since contacted tye mains gas service team, Cadent, who have inspected its current location and have recommended a relocation to higher ground further long my property. For this they are trying to charge a whopping £998:03.

I am truly stuck. BG will not provide another meter so I can take my own gas meter readings, I am in debt due to gas use over winter as was not even aware the meter had failed (no one from BG informed me their meter was not sending readings back to them) and Cadent are unlikely to pay for the metre relocation. 

Can someone please tell me if I have any rights with regards obtaining this gas meter relocation for free. I am not a priority customer with regards disability etc, but I am a consistent and reliable utility bill payer and have never been black listed. This situation seems very unfair to me and whilst it remains unsolved, my gas bill is just increasing to an amount I cannot even calculate for myself due to lack of readings!

PLEASE, PLEASE HELP!!

How do you know you are in debt? Have BG sent you an estimated bill? Surely their best estimate can only be based on your use last winter, so shouldn’t be too far off . Have you done a comparison? 

Is it remotely possible that although they are not receiving readings that you can see anything on your In Home Display or app?
Are you putting aside the money that you would normally spend on your gas bill or paying a regular direct debit? 

Is this something ( meter relocation) your home insurance would cover or have you already exhausted that by multiple flood claims? 

winniewightman

Hi all, and thanks for everyone’s replies.

I’ve had a good result back from Cadent - in short, and free of charge, they’re kindly offering to raise the position of the supply slightly to assist with any filtration from the system to prevent flooding. This, at least, shows willing on their behalf to assist me, and will hopefully enable/encourage BG to replace the damaged meter with a new one, therefore allowing my last gas meter reading to the calculated on an average use against the new reading provided by the new meter and then I can settle my outstanding gas bill. 

Dead grateful for everyone’s advice and support on this, and that of the understanding Cadent team. All being well, this will be the last issue I have moving forward and normality can resume!

kind regards 
winniewightman
😉